


Family Traditions

by Pfle



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, background ships, family traditions coming together, i just woke up and forgot what my own fic is about
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:35:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21903094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pfle/pseuds/Pfle
Summary: It is the first time that the Fraldarius and Dominique household would be spending Saint Cichol day together in the Fraldarius territory.
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Kudos: 29
Collections: Felannie Secret Santa Gifts of 2019





	Family Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> For Kat
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/latias_nerd/?hl=en  
> https://mobile.twitter.com/katiecatcosplay
> 
> The prompt is "Something sappy and or sweet"  
> I'm also a sucker for my favs having babies lol

It was the first time that Annette and Felix would be spending their first holiday together. Traditions blending together, family coming together to celebrate.

Annette was to bring her mother and uncle. Felix had no one. It did not bother him. It hasn’t, and will not continue to bother him. He started down the ladder of the study, looking up at the bright red berries hanging above the door. It was the only color in the muted colors of the study.

He hoped that her family wouldn’t be too mad if he stole a kiss from his soon to be wife. At the start of Ethereal Moon, Annette left for her home in the capital, to retrieve her family and bring them to the Fraldarius household. It wouldn’t take too long now.

He checked the cooks in the kitchen, preparing Whitefish Sauté for their main meal tonight. It smelled like the dining hall of the monastery.

He recalled at the monastery, Saint Cichol’s day was met with singing, and Felix always sat a few rows behind mumbling the words until he caught Annette singing. His face warmed in the present, keeping himself busy with the memories of him quietly working his way closer to hear her sing.

He hung another mistletoe strategically up above the library door frame. Annette was so nervous when they first kissed. At least this way, his plan, if all went accordingly, was to kiss her without her noticing a mistletoe above them, so he would not have to painstakingly wait for her to calm herself down. While it would not be ideal for her uncle and mother to be around when his plan went into action, he placed many around to have an alone moment with her.

Felix roamed his father’s office, waiting for her and her family. A letter addressed to him sat on the table, wishing him warm cheer. It was on his father’s desk. It would always be his father’s. It still did not feel real that this was his.

He reread the letters. 

Sylvain wished him warmth as he cozied up with his agoraphobic wife, sipping cider by the fire covered in a warm blanket.

Dimitri was busy with his wife who would give sermons at the monastery praising those to follow in Saint Cichol’s foot steps. Singing and feasting were included.

Ingrid was to help her wife with building a set for holiday plays and operas. She would be busy delivering presents to children after the play ended.

Overall... His friends were doing well. He hoped Annette would get here faster so he could rub it in their faces by not writing them back about the wonderful holiday he and his wife were going to have.

He set the letters down and moved out to check on the news on the arrival of the Dominic family. He heard word that they arrived in his territory. He picked the top of the stairs, straightening the creases in his vest, standing tall as he awaited.

He held his breath when the door opened.

Annette.

Annette was literal sunshine. There was no way to describe her smile without sounding like a fool in love. That’s how she makes him feel.

Time was just so slow as she looked around for him, and when she found him at the top of the stairs, she waved.

Felix smiled warmly, but that smile soured when Gustave put his hand on her shoulder.

Felix stepped down, hand gliding on the rail.

“Lord Fraldarius,” Gustave began. “It is a pleasure to have us over to celebrate with you and your fam--” He stopped and realized his mistake, “Forgive me for carelessly mentioning--”

“It’s fine. I’ll have a servant show you to your rooms... Or something,” Felix said, gesturing to the nearest person working for his household.

As the Dominic family began following the servant, Felix pulled Annette back.

She eyed him with a soft smile. “Sorry about my dad. I thought I couldn’t convince him to reunite with my mom, but the second he heard about the marriage, he just. You know. Involved himself,”

He looked up, at the mistletoe. “It’s fine, as long as you are home now,” He started leaning down to kiss her.

“H-hey hey now!” She hissed, “Not while my dad can see us,”

He frowned, “What happened to ‘screw what my dad thinks, court me Felix’,”

She pouted with a red face. “I didn’t say it like that,”

“I summarized 6 years of mutual pining, miscommunication, pretending to date out of spite for your dad, and fluff.”

“Annette,” Gustave said, breaking the two’s conversation.

“Father, is something the matter?” Annette asked with a soft voice.

“Are you going to follow?” He asked.

Annette glanced at Felix, she could say that she already knew where she was sleeping, it would be the same bed as Felix’s, but she got caught up in uh’s.

“Actually we’ve been sleeping in the same bed,” Felix explained.

Annette’s face turned red.

Gustave’s eyes widened. “You’re not even married,”

Felix shrugged. “It’s just how things are here,”

“I-I see,” he coughed and composed himself. “I would’ve thought that you both would have waited until after. But Annette is a grown woman,”

“I am,” She said an octave too high.

Felix folded his arms. After a moment of a silent staredown, he finally spoke up.

“Are you tired?” Felix asked Annette.

“Fellie,” She started. “I’ve been away for what feels like forever, I have yet to see anything you’ve planned for my favorite holiday!”

He smiled just a touch.

“I never knew it was your favorite holiday Annette,” Gustave said, wanting to put distance between them.

_ ‘Of course he wouldn’t have known. He spent holidays with his highness.’  _ Both of them thought.

“I became really fond of it--” She looked at Felix, smiling and biting her lip and gave a playful shrug.

“I understand now. It appears that this is important for you two,” He said. He pressed his fist against his chest and bowed, turning on his heel to meet with his wife and brother.

“Now--” Felix started, resting his hand on her shoulder. “ _ Please,  _ while you investigate, resist the urge to climb things, put things away, or cook,” He stressed.

“Fellie!” She sang.

“I’m serious,” His face reddened. “You’ve had a long trip and rest is important,”

* * *

As dinner crept closer, candles tried their best to light up the dark hallways. The light outside were gone so early. Cold and frost were around to stay during the moons ahead.

Annette’s family were given a rest. Servants lit their fireplaces, bringing a warm glow into the room.

Felix refused to let his fiancee work herself up. His head placed on her lap in their bedroom. He looked up at her. She had given up long ago to get up. She stroked his hair softly.

Annette hummed lazily while fire cracked next to them.

A knock disturbed their peace.

Felix called out to the knocker to come in.

“Dinner is ready,” Came the voice of one of the servants.

Felix rose up, slowly arching his back. Annette twisted her back and scooted off the bed.

The pair walked under the mistletoe under the door frame where Felix caught her with many smooches just hours before. He pulled her back under the door to kiss her again.

He knew he was in love with her and she knew and the servants knew. They all knew how dumbly in love these two were. Gossip about him smiling and being in a good mood was just the gist from a distance. The servants knew better. They had heard his frustrations to create a poem to honor her, his forlorn looks waiting for her to return, pulling her aside to give a kiss to her when he thought no one was watching. They also knew that he was not embarrassed about the relationship. Why, the Fraldarius household was in a buzz when Felix was the first one to say the big words and shortly propose after.

It no longer was a surprise or was much gossip when Annette held onto his arm as they walked into the dining room. Besides there was juicier gossip that had been going around the lord and lady.

When the servants were pouring sparkling wine from imported Almyran bottles, they switched to a different drinking carafe when it was time for Annette’s glass to be full. Gustave arched his brow at this, unable to enjoy talks about how Felix and Annette’s stories.

His fists curled tightly at his knees. He watched stoicly as the conversation shifted. His ears perked up to their plans for the evening.

“--Felix, we just have to,” Annette complained sweetly.

“I am fine with standing to the side but I can’t sing,” He said, sipping calmly.

“It’s what Saint Cichol would want,” Her mother chimed in playfully. “It’s a Dominic tradition to carol on the eve of Saint Cichol Day,”

He eyed the Dominics and then looked to his wife’s pleading eyes. “Do I have to sing loudly?”

“No! But you do have to sing,”

He relented, looking away. Snow blanketed outside.

“Dress warmly Annette,”

“Of course, of course!”

Dinner continued on, until Annette and her mother anxiously wanted to begin their caroling around the territory. Dressed in many furs the family went out, beginning with many classic songs such as “Sothis Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Hark! The Herald Saints Sing”. 

By the third house, Gustave had pulled Felix aside. Seeing this, Annette pulled her family along to sing while the two talked.

“Lord Fraldarius, normally under these circumstances I would not hark a fast response, but Annette is my daughter, so I am concerned.”

Felix frowned. “And what is your concern?”

“Is she.... Is she with child?” He finally got out. He could not forget the slight of hand the servant pulled during dinner, switching wine to water, or the fact that they were already sleeping together.

Felix shrugged a bit and then went to cross his arms, digging his hands in between his armpits. “It’s our decision to keep it discreet until we are sure, but we have taken precautions just in case,”

A range of emotions overwhelmed Gustave. “So the young prince will have a friend to look after him much like you did with His Majesty,”

The color drained from his face. Mouth agape at this.

“To think, two households that service His Majesty would serve the next line as deeply entwined as such,”

“That’s-That’s all you have to say to this news?”

“Well as a father I can’t simply take this news lightly. I am overjoyed and yet deeply disappointed.”

Anger fueled Felix’s body, hotter than any fabric. He reached for his sword but upon grasping nothing he forced the anger down. Down and further into an angry pit.

“When the time comes and we have a child, I can promise I will be a better father than my own or you,” Felix finally got out, after glaring for what felt like forever.

“I know that I have not been the best father for Annette, and I am sure you will be. I trust you to raise my grandchild,” He said.

Felix blinked suddenly feeling diffused with pent up energy nowhere to go.

He expected a fight.

He shoved his hands back under his armpits, frustrated. “Don’t go sharing the news so freely. I will cut you down if things do not go to plan,”

“You have my word,”

“Also I may be the Lord of this territory, but you should have been a father first and spoken with her,” He started walking towards the rest of Dominics.

Gustave stood for a few moments before following after him.

* * *

That night left a bitter taste in Felix’s mouth.

He explained to Annette in their bedroom how angry her father’s comment made him feel. On the eve of Saint Cichol day! Of all days! A day when fathers love their children and--

Annette softly cut him off. “It’s just who he is. I’ll talk to him tomorrow morning,” 

“It’s your choice, but I don’t think he deserves the right to be a grandfather to your child,” Felix said.

Annette brushed her hair quietly.

“I don’t think so either, but he is also my father... It feels complicated,” She answered, setting the brush down gently against the boudoir table. “Would you let your father?”

He sat up from the bed to look at her.

It was a loaded question. A lot to unpack. He plopped back down. “While I personally do not like him or his ideals, he is not a threat to an infant emotionally. However, your father is a flight risk,”

She walked over to him.

“He did finally come back home,” She smiled weakly.

“After how many years?” Felix asked.

She sighed and plopped down onto the pillow. Her arms stretched up past her head, grazing the wooden headboard. Felix surprised her cheek with a smooch. She giggled softly, bringing her arms down to wrap around him. His nose pressed against her with his lips nestled against her cheek. Warm air pressed against them both.

“How are you so calm?” He asked her, mumbling against her skin.

She leaned her head against his. “I think I’m just used to my dad disappointing me,” She breathed for a few beats. “I want to talk to him tomorrow morning,”

Felix leaned over her, enveloping all of her sight.

“What about the gifts?” Felix asked.

“Gifts?!” Annette nearly shouted.

He silenced her with peppering kisses to her lips.

“I want my gifts!” She squeaks.

“You’ll get it tomorrow morning,” He leaned up with a stern face.

Her hand leaned up to pull his hair out of the ponytail.

“Why gifts?” She asked.

“Your family doesn’t give gifts on Saint Cichol?” He asked. Sitting on her lap.

“No?”

He smirked just a slight bit. “Yes, my father used to dress as Cichol and deliver gifts to all the good children who were modeled after Cethlean,”

She pushed her lips into a pout, then smiled devilishly.

“What did your dad get you, your brother’s hand-me-downs?”

He rolled his head back, trying to recall. “I think... A lump of coal?”

She laughed beautifully while he chuckled.

He rolled off her and lay there staring up.

“I like this tradition,” Annette said after a while.

“You haven’t even had it yet?” He said.

“Nope! But I like the idea of you dressing up in a big hat and a cape,” She grinned, facing him.

“It’s called a Mitre,” He said.

“I know,” She smiled.

He pulled the blanket over her and himself. “Go to sleep. Saint Cichol only comes when you’re sleeping,”

She snuggled up to him and closed her eyes. He kissed her head and closed his eyes again.

* * *

In the morning, frost clung to the windows tightly. When the servants entered quietly, Felix was already awake. He nodded to the servant as they lit the fire. Felix brought himself over, warming himself. 

When the fire fought off the frost, he began dressing himself. 

* * *

When Annette woke, Felix was missing. She was a bit excited to find him, dressed and handing out presents.

She pressed against the pillow hard and then flung the blanket over, prepared to get her slippers on to find her lover.

Outside the warmth of the bedroom, she almost ran around the manor to look for him.

Instead what she found was her father. He too was up.

She pouted a tad. She did not want to talk yet.

“Father, have you seen Felix?”

“I have yet to. Annette, I would like a word with you,”

She wanted her presents first.

“I suppose,”

He swallowed hard.

“I know you are with child,” He finally got out.

“Please do not share the news until I am showing,” Annette said firmly.

“I have not shared this yet,” He started. “But I may have soured things. After a restless night, I need to say what it is on my heart,”

“Go on,” Annette pressed.

“I know there is some... resentment toward both me and my decisions. They were hurtful,”

“Yes, they were,”

“But I do not want to make similar mistakes. I do not want to miss seeing my grandchild growing up, like I did with you. I am truly sorry for my absence Annette,”

Annette shifted her weight around.

“And?”

“And, I am sorry for being overly excited about saying your child would serve His Majesty,”

Annette smiled. “I’m not too mad about that part. Felix is, but that’s a whole can of worms that. Seriously, Father. Don’t say that to Felix,”

“Why is that?” He asked.

“It’s a long story and not my story to share,”

He slowly smiled and nodded.

“On the other hand, I am sure my little bundle would call him uncle Dimitri,” She smiled. Walking down the hall, very cheerful.

Gustave curled his hand into a loose fist, bringing it up to his chin.

“And why is that?” He followed.

She told him about how her and Dimitri thought each other as siblings due to the stories shared from Gustave himself. As the two grew closer to the grand foyer, a loud explosion of cheerful laughter exploded.

Annette and Gustave walked faster to see what was all the fuss.

A man dressed in golds and cream with a cape and training axe, similar to statues of Saint Cichol was standing amongst the common children, pulling out wooden animals, dolls, and small musical instruments from a bag. 

The two of them watched the stoic Saint Cichol pass out as many toys to the children.

Annette’s smile grew, and looked up to her father.

“Father, I know how you will make it up to Felix.”

* * *

The little Fraldarius sat upon her mother’s lap. Dark hair and hazel eyes looking up at her mother’s bright smile as she sang.

“ _ To which his Mother Sothis _

_ Did nothing take in scorn,” _

She sang rocking the toddler gently to her tune.

Grandmother Dominic hummed softly under her. The young Fraldarius looked to her father, enjoying the song.

She tugged on her mother’s sleeve.

“Mama...”

“Yes, Niqui?”

“When’s Saint Cichol coming? I’m sleepy,”

“Soon, my sweet,”

With that, entered him. To everyone but young Dominique Fraldarius it was just Gustave dressed quite ridiculously. But to the 4 year old, it was the real flesh and blood Saint Cichol asking her if she had been a good girl. 

**Author's Note:**

> While not very creative I like the idea of paying homage to the Dominic household with the name Dominique. But dang!!! Dulce Cassia is so much better (thank you Nenalata)


End file.
